The eight-episode second season is set to feature longer episodes.
The second season of Game of Thrones’ hit prequel series House of the Dragon is set to premiere on June 16, with the first episode revealed to be clocking in at 64 minutes.
According to Deadline, the season will feature only eight episodes instead of the usual ten. However, fans can expect longer House of the Dragon episodes, starting with the 64-minute premiere. While the runtimes for the remaining episodes haven’t been confirmed, extended episodes, particularly the last two, seem likely.
The shorter season isn’t due to budget cuts. This decision is part of a long-term plan for the series, with HBO considering a third season. George R.R. Martin and Ryan Condal are strategically planning how to divide the story and which battles to feature in each season. House of the Dragon executive producer and writer Sara Hess addressed one of the hit fantasy drama’s major changes in Season 2 and the production setbacks they faced while filming Season 2 during 2023’s Hollywood strikes.
Season 2 Was Affected by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA Strikes
Hess stated, “We talked to the WGA and, ultimately, they understood that if we left the set, they were going to make it without us. I don’t think the WGA loved it, but they were okay with us being there in a producing capacity.” Since the show was being made through Equity, the cast and crew who are part of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA guilds were allowed to continue shooting. “We were prepared for it,” Condal added. “The writing really was done. The writing is always done on the show because it has to be. You cannot prep a show that is this complex.”
The series premiered on August 21, 2022, with its first season comprising ten episodes. Just five days after the premiere, it was renewed for a second season. Condal and Miguel Sapochnik served as co-showrunners. After the first season, Miguel Sapochnik stepped down as showrunner, leaving Condal to continue as the sole showrunner for the second season.
The series is based on sections of George R.R. Martin’s 2018 book Fire & Blood and is set approximately 100 years after the Seven Kingdoms were unified by the Targaryen conquest, nearly 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones and 172 years before Daenerys Targaryen’s birth. Featuring an ensemble cast, the show depicts the events leading up to the decline of House Targaryen and the devastating war of succession known as the Dance of the Dragon.
House of the Dragon season 2 will premiere on June 16, 2024.